Henry mathew hunt



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, H. M. HUNT.-

TANDEM.

No. 598,872. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

WIT/1158858 I nvvsmr'ol;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. M. HUNT.

TANDEM. No. 598,872. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

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m: Mumps PETERS no Pnofoufuq, wnsr-uncron, n. c.

UNITED STATES I PATENT FFICE.

HENRY MATHEW HUNT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TANDEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,872, dated February8, 1898.

Application filed March 21, 1896.

To all whom it may cncern:

Be it known that I, HENRY MATHEW HUNT,

of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and easily connected to form atandem and also Fig. 6.

' disconnected and employed as bicycles inde pendently.

I will describe a road-vehicle embodying my invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claims.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a road-vehicle embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlargedscale, of a portion thereof. Fig. A is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is afragmentary view drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a section on theline 7 7 of Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View of the rear fork. Fig. 9 is asection on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 shows a portion of asteering-arm employed, and Fig. 11 shows a method of attachingsteering-rods to the front handle-bar.

Referring to the drawings,1 designates what may be termed the leadersection of the vehicle, comprising a front or steering wheel 2 and arear wheel 3. The front fork 1 extends upward from the axle of the frontwheel '2 and has a shank portion passing through thefront post 5 of theframe, and to the upper end of this shank portion is secured ahandle-bar 6. The rear fork 7 of the frame engages with the axle of thewheel 3, and this axle is elongated on each side of the wheel to receivethe front fork 8 of what may be termed the trailer 9. This fork 8 at itslower end is provided with outwardly-opening slots to engage over theaxle of the wheel 3, so that said fork may be readily attached to ordetached from the axle. The rear fork 10 of the trailer9 engages withthe axle of the trailer-Wheel 11, and to this axle is removably attacheda step-post 12. As here Serial No. 584,205. (No model.)

shown,this step-post 12 has a tubular threaded portion engaging with thethreaded extension of the axle of the wheel 11.

The upper end of the stem portion of the .fork 8 is provided with asprocket-wheel 13,

This steering-arm is mounted to rock on a horizontal plane with relationto the stem portion of the fork 8, and it has its ends extended outwardand downward. Of course the ends of the said arm may extend upwardinstead of downward and have the same effect. It will be seen that thissteering-arm 20 is adapted to move in two planes, one at right angles tothe other-that is, it has a rocking motion relatively to the fork 8 andalso has a movement with said fork as it turns. This is made necessaryso that the arm can accommodate itself to the movements of the frontsteering mechanism, with which it is connected by means of steering-rods21.

. These steering-rods 21 have a universal-joint connection 22 with theends of the arm 20, and they also have a universal-joint connection 23with the handle-bar 6 of the leader 1. This universal joint 23 is'hereshown as comprising a block 24, having pivotal connection in arms 25,mounted on the end of the rod 21, so that said block may oscillate inavertical plane with relation to the steering-rod. This block 24 isvertically perforated to engage over spring-fingers 26, extendeddownward from a bracket 27, secured to the ends of the handle on thefront handle-bar 6. The fingers 26 are curved outward and then inward attheir lower portions in such a manner that the outwardly-curved portionswill engage underneath the block 24 when said block is pushed'upwa'rd onthe fingers. It

i will beseen by this connection that the steering-bars may be readilydetached by the front rider pushing downward on the steering-rods shouldsucli detachment become necessary the fork 8 is attached a steering-arm20. I

by reason of an accident or otherwise while the rider is on the saddleof the leader 1.

The upper portion of the fork 8 has a yielding connection with theseat-post-supporting portion 28 of the leader-frame. This yieldingconnection, as here shown, comprises a crosshead 29, which has a lug 30extended rearward and pivotally connected between the arms 31, extendedfrom the upper end of the fork 8, and a similar cross-head 32 has a lugportion 33 pivotally mounted between cliparms 34, secured to the portion28 of the leader-frame. On the inner sides these crossheads 29 and 32have stem portions 35, which extend toward each other and are adapted topass into tubular projections 36 37, extended longitudinally fromabutment-plates 38 39.

It will be seen that the tubular projection 36 has a less diameter thanthe interior diameter of the tubular projection 37, so that it may enterthe same as the parts are moved toward each other. A coil-spring 40passes around the tubular projections 36 37 and abuts at one end againstthe plate 38 and at the other end against the plate 39. The crossheads29 and 32 are projected at rightangles to each other.

From the ends of the cross-head 29 opposite rods 41 extend laterallythrough perforations in the plate 38 and engage at their forward endswith the plate 39, and from the crosshead 32 opposite rods 42 extendloosely through the plate 39 and have their ends engaged with the plate38. The several rods may be provided with adj usting-nuts on their ends,so that the tension may be increased or diminished at pleasure. Theobject of this spring yielding connection between the leader and traileris to provide for an easy movement of the several wheels over unevenroads or over obstructions that may be encountered and also to renderthe vehicle self-supporting when the wheels 2, 3, and 11 are turned atan angle to each other.

It will be seen that the trailer maybe readily detached from the leaderby simply removing the screw-pivot, which secures the crosshead 32 tothe clip 34, and by removing the fork 8 from its engagement with theaxle of the wheel 3, and of course the steering-rods 21 must bedetached, and then the two devicesthat is, the leader and thetrailer-may be used as independent bicycles by simply placing an extrawheel within the fork 8.

The leader 1 may have its frame adapted for either a male or a femalerider, and, if desired, the steering mechanism and connections may beomitted from the trailer, and the whole device when used as a tandem maybe steered by the rider on the leader.

It is obvious that the trailers may also be constructed for either maleor female riders. Both the leader and trailer may have one or moreseats, or the seat of the trailer might be omitted and provision madefor carrying bundles.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In aroad-vehicle, the combination with a bicycle, and a second bicyclehaving its front wheel removed and its front fork engaging the axle ofthe rear wheel of the front bicycle, of a rod mounted to rock on thestem of the front fork of the rear bicycle and havin g downwardly-bentends, and rods connecting the bent ends of the rod with the steeringmechanism of the front bicycle, substantially as described.

2. A road-vehicle, comprising a bicycle or leader, a trailer having itsfront fork engaging with the extended axle of the rear wheel of theleader,a steering mechanism on the trailer, comprising sprocket-Wheelsand a sprocketshank, laterally-extended arms mounted to rock on theupper portion of the trailer-fork stem, and steering-rods havinguniversaljoint connections with said arms and also havinguniversal-joint connections with the handle-bar of the leader,substantially as specified.

3. A road-vehicle, comprising a bicycle or leader, and a trailer havingyielding connections therewith, the front fork of said trailer havingits ends engaged with the axle of the rear wheel of the leader, an armor arms mounted to rock on the upper end of the fork-stem, andsteering-rods extended from the ends of said arm to a detachableconnection with the handle-bar of the leader, said detachableconnections comprising springfingers mounted on the handles of saidhandlebar and adapted to engage with openings in blocks pivotallyconnected to the ends of the steering-rods, substantially as specified.

4. A yielding connection for a leader and trailer, comprisingcross-heads, one adapted for pivotal connection with the leader and theother adapted for pivotal connection with thetrailer, plates havingtelescopic or tubular portions mounted to move between said cross-heads,rods extended from one crosshead to one of said plates, rods extendedfrom the other of said cross-heads to connections with one of saidplates, and a coil-spring abutting against said plates, substantially asspecified.

HENRY MATHEW HUNT.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN F. CLARK, WM. S. BECK.

